Agent intervention pays off for Dallas.

The Dallas Mavericks secured a dramatic 117-116 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, on Monday night.

With the win, Dallas took a 4-2 series lead and advanced to the Conference Finals.

It’s a huge win for Dallas. After hovering just outside of the play-in tournament at the start of the season, the Mavs turned things around at the trade deadline with big-name acquisitions like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. They found the pieces to complement 토토사이트 추천 Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and became a solid team.

Dallas traded Irving to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith. Finney-Smith was a key part of Dallas’ defense, doing the dirty work at the forward spot. Dallas signed Grant Williams in free agency to fill the void left by Phinney-Smith, but it was a failure.

Washington has filled in 100% of Finney-Smith’s shoes, with Derrick Jones Jr. helping out.

Washington and Jones Jr. both have defensive strengths. Jones, in particular, is more of a perimeter defender.

Jones Jr. has been known for his dunks off of huge jumps since his days with the Miami Heat, but it’s clear from watching him play that his strength is defense.

He specializes in using his overwhelming athleticism to wear down opposing defenders. After leaving Miami, he played for the Portland Trailblazers and Chicago Bulls before joining Dallas this season.

And in Dallas, he has finally come into full bloom. Jones Jr. averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 34% shooting from three-point range this season. It was the best season of his career in terms of scoring and three-point percentage.

The defense that Dallas was counting on was a non-factor. Jones Jr. played the role of taking the defensive load off of Irving and Doncic perfectly.

His play was even better in the playoffs. In 11 playoff games, Jones is averaging 9.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, which is even better than his regular season numbers. His presence is even more important in the playoffs, where defense is key.

For Dallas, acquiring Jones Jr. a season ago was a stroke of genius.

Interestingly, Jones’ agent was heavily involved in his move to Dallas. As a free agent last summer, Jones Jr. had two offers. One was from the Boston Celtics, and the other was from Dallas.

He was torn between the two offers, but his agent pushed him to go to Dallas. The reason was playing time. Boston has an established starting frontcourt with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Dallas, on the other hand, doesn’t have a set starting lineup outside of Doncic and Irving.

The decision turned out to be a win-win for both Dallas and Jones Jr. himself. The agent’s involvement was a positive.

After signing a one-year deal last summer, Jones Jr. will become a free agent after this season. What’s next for Jones and his agent?